Gum Design

What Gum Design does

Gum Design is a privately held, two-person digital marketing agency headquartered in Hilo, Hawaii, operating as Gum Design LLC (registered mailing address in Fort Collins, Colorado). Founded in 2004 by Christian Engelhardt (Design/Concept/Code) and Julie Engelhardt (Project Manager/Marketing), the firm delivers custom WordPress-based web design, branding and logo development, on-page SEO, Google AdWords management, email marketing, social media management, landing page design, photography, and website maintenance contracts. Technology is built on the open-source WordPress CMS with custom programming, responsive/mobile-first design, and WooCommerce-based e-commerce implementations including subscription billing for healthcare clients such as Iris Integrative Health.

The company's revenue model is primarily project-based one-time web design fees, supplemented by recurring website maintenance contracts and ongoing professional services engagements in digital marketing. Pricing is quote-based with no publicly disclosed tiers, and clients reach the firm directly via phone, email, or a request-a-quote form. The customer base skews toward Hawaii-based small and mid-sized businesses, non-profit organizations (including the Hawai'i Public Health Institute, Honolulu Habitat for Humanity, and the Expand Papahānaumokuākea Coalition), healthcare providers, and tourism and hospitality operators (Hilton Waikoloa Village, Waikoloa Beach Resort, Parker Ranch, Hawaii Forest & Trail, Fair Wind Cruises). Distribution is direct, with no resellers, channel partners, or intermediaries; growth is driven by referrals and long-tenured client relationships, including documented 10+ year engagements.

Operationally, the firm is a boutique lifestyle agency with two full-time employees, no disclosed external funding, no parent company, and no subsidiaries. Geographic focus is concentrated on Hawaii, with marketing and SEO/sem services provided to Hawaii-based clients. Notable client outcomes include a 100+ page website overhaul for the Hawai'i Public Health Institute and promotion of a blood-pressure awareness campaign to 1,000+ people in East Hawaii. The company maintains a publicly accessible portfolio, testimonial-heavy website, and a 2026 copyright date indicating active ongoing operations.

Name

Gum Design

Legal name

Gum Design LLC

Website

https://gumdesign.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Gum Design is a two-person, Hawaii-based boutique digital marketing agency (founded 2004) delivering custom WordPress web design, branding, SEO, and digital marketing services to local SMBs, non-profits, healthcare providers, and tourism operators.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Web Design and Digital Marketing Services

NAICS

Graphic Design Services (541430), Graphic Design Services (54143)

SIC

Services-Advertising Agencies (7311), Services-Advertising (7310)

akta.pro primary industry

Digital Creative & Experience Design Agencies (Web/App/UX) (MPAAAAAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Packaging & Product Brand Design (BPAFAEAG)

Keywords

• Custom web design
• Branding services
• Search engine optimization
• Digital marketing agency
• Responsive web development

Headquarters

HQ city

Hilo

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Custom Web Design Projects: Project-based custom website design and development services for businesses and organizations. Includes informational architecture, branding, and development.
2. Website Maintenance Contracts: Ongoing website maintenance and support services
3. Digital Marketing Services: Google AdWords management, email marketing campaigns, social media management, and conversion/landing page design
4. Photography Services: Professional on-site, product, and editorial photography services
5. Branding and Logo Development: Visual identity creation including logo development, brand guidelines, color palettes, and font selection

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Gum Design is a Hawaii-based digital marketing agency that crafts custom websites and brand identities for small and local businesses, primarily using the WordPress content management system. Beyond web design, the firm offers complementary services including branding and logo development, search engine optimization, Google AdWords management, email marketing, social media management, photography, and ongoing website maintenance. The agency emphasizes fully custom (non-template) responsive/mobile-optimized design tailored to each client's brand and goals.

Product overview

Gum Design is a custom web design agency offering a comprehensive suite of digital marketing services. Their core offering is custom web design and development built on the WordPress content management system, supplemented by branding/logo development, SEO services, and digital marketing capabilities including Google AdWords management, email marketing, social media management, and print collateral. The company specializes in responsive/mobile-optimized design, WooCommerce e-commerce implementation for subscription management, and landing page design for conversion optimization. Services are delivered by a small team comprising Christian Engelhardt (design/concept/code) and Julie Engelhardt (project manager/marketing), and are primarily targeted at Hawaii-based businesses, non-profit organizations, healthcare providers, and tourism/travel companies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Custom Web Design Services Custom web design and mobile-optimized responsive website development tailored to each client's brand and business needs, without using cookie-cutter templates. Targeted at Hawaii-based businesses, non-profits, healthcare providers, and tourism/travel companies.
• Branding and Logo Development Visual brand identity creation including logo development, brand guidelines, color palettes, and font selection to establish consistent brand representation across all media channels.
• WordPress Development Custom WordPress programming and content management system implementation with specialized functionality beyond standard WordPress capabilities, including WooCommerce subscription-based features for healthcare and e-commerce needs.
• Search Engine Optimization (SEO) On-site search engine optimization services aligned with the latest search engine recommendations, including installation of refinement tools for improved organic search rankings during the design phase.
• Google AdWords Management Paid search advertising services through Google AdWords, including ad creation, campaign management, and budget optimization delivered by Google certified specialists.
• Email Marketing Services Turnkey email campaign services including campaign concept development, conversion landing pages, metrics analysis, mobile-friendly design, and technical delivery.
• Conversion/Landing Page Design Highly targeted landing page design for marketing campaigns, serving as conversion funnels for digital or print initiatives with analytical data capabilities.
• Social Media Management Social footprint development including social strategy, campaign concepts, timing recommendations, and technical execution to grow customer community engagement.
• Photography Services Professional photography including product photography, on-location photography, and editorial photography to create cohesive brand promotion materials.
• Website Maintenance Contracts Ongoing website maintenance and support services for existing client websites, delivered as recurring subscription-based contracts.
• Print Collateral Design Print marketing material design services including visual communication collateral and marketing assets to complement digital branding efforts.

Quantifiable outcome

• Promoted blood pressure awareness campaign to 1,000+ people in East Hawaii during February 2020
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers16 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• WebFX: Large full-service digital marketing agency offering web design, SEO, PPC, and content marketing — directly overlapping with Gum Design's core services but at vastly greater scale and broader geographic reach.
• Blue Fountain Media: Established digital agency providing web design, branding, and full digital marketing — directly overlapping capabilities but operating at significantly broader scale and enterprise client tier.

Direct peers

• Digital Silk: Digital agency specializing in custom web design, branding, e-commerce, and digital marketing — closely comparable full-service boutique offering for SMB and mid-market clients.
• Ironpaper: Boutique digital agency focused on web design, branding, and inbound marketing for B2B clients — closely comparable small-team service delivery model with similar custom design differentiation.
• SmartSites: Mid-sized digital agency providing website design, SEO, and PPC services for SMBs across multiple verticals — comparable service mix to Gum Design with similar reliance on WordPress/WooCommerce stacks.
• Comrade Web Agency: Digital marketing and web design agency offering custom websites, SEO, and branding — comparable boutique-scale service mix with vertical specialization similar to Gum Design's SMB/non-profit focus.
• Lounge Lizard: Boutique digital agency focused on website design, branding, and digital marketing — closely comparable offering to Gum Design across branding, custom web development, and digital strategy.
• Coalition Technologies: Full-service web design and SEO/digital marketing agency serving SMB and mid-market clients — directly comparable business model with custom web design and integrated marketing offerings.
• Thrive Internet Marketing Agency: Full-service digital marketing agency covering web design, SEO, social media, and branding — directly comparable portfolio of services targeting SMBs across diverse verticals.
• Big Drop Inc: Custom web design and digital marketing agency providing branding, web development, and online marketing — closely aligned service mix with strong creative branding emphasis like Gum Design.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Gum Design